This article or section is about an upcoming or recently released game.The content here is subject to change as more information is discovered. All information added here must be verifiable.

For information about an upcoming Pikmin game titled Pikmin 4, see Pikmin 4.

Hey! Pikmin is a Pikmin spinoff game for the Nintendo 3DS. The game was announced on the September 1st, 2016 Nintendo Direct[1], where some gameplay information and footage was shown. The official title, the launch date, the basic story line, and other gameplay elements were shown during the April 12th, 2017 Nintendo Direct.[2] It was released on July 13th, 2017 in Japan, July 28th, 2017 for North America and Europe, and July 29th, 2017 for Australia.

A demo was released for the European eShop on June 22nd, 2017, and for the Australian eShop on July 5th, 2017. Despite being a 3DS title, Hey! Pikmin does not support stereoscopic 3D.

Unlike the previous Pikmin games, which were 3D real-time strategy games, this one is a 2.5D side-scroller. Players control Captain Olimar, who in turn controls a group of Pikmin, which can be thrown at enemies to battle them, at obstacles to clear them, or at treasures to carry them. Treasures and certain collectables are worth some amount of "Sparklium", and the idea is to collect as much Sparklium as possible before reaching the level's goal.

Gameplay happens on the bottom screen, although both screens show the action. The player controls Olimar left or right on the ground and also vertically when climbing a vine or underwater. Small ledges can be climbed up by simply walking in their direction. Long drops down will cause him to start teetering at the edge if the player pushes against the edge. Letting go off that direction and pressing again will bypass this teetering and force Captain Olimar to fall down. This can be used to fall into the pit. Captain Olimar can also deploy his jetpack, which makes him dismiss the Pikmin temporarily, raises him off the ground, and allows the player to control him in midair left or right. Olimar can only stay afloat for a limited amount of time, though; this limit gets reset when Olimar lands again. The jetpack will be put away automatically if Olimar bumps against a ceiling.

The player can whistlePikmin from anywhere on the screen, which makes them run to Olimar's side, although worker Pikmin will continue working. When the whistle is used, a voice going "Hey!" can be heard, although it doesn't seem to match Captain Olimar's, and the whistle itself is only used a split-second after the voice. Given unknown circumstances, the whistle will sound higher pitched. This might happen when Pikmin in danger are whistled. Once in Olimar's group, they can be thrown by him in the direction the player taps. Unlike the main Pikmin games, the Pikmin cannot be told to idle as normally – throwing a Pikmin away to an enemy or no task in particular will just make the Pikmin walk back to Olimar. This casual walk can be ordered into a run by simply whistling. Using the jetpack will however dismiss the Pikmin on the spot, until they are called back. Entering a doorway while some Pikmin are busy carrying or fighting will also leave them idling, although they can still hold on to whatever item they are holding.

Pikmin that are thrown at branches from below go up through them and land on top of them. Pikmin that land close to a task like a pile of bridge fragments will automatically walk towards it and begin working on it. Enemy health is represented with a horizontal bar, unlike the pie chart of previous games. Blue Pikmin thrown while underwater are tossed in a straight line instead of an arc, and swim back to Olimar right away. Other Pikmin will either bounce off the enemy or, if possible, latch on to it and attack repeatedly. Unlike the previous games, that show a fraction to represent how many Pikmin are needed to pick something up, some bubbles appear on top of the object, matching the number of Pikmin necessary. As Pikmin are added, the bubbles become filled one by one.

Pikmin cannot be grown in this game, but rather, they're found in the wild by Olimar, either behind foliage or obtained in short cutscenes.[3] Because of this, enemies do not drop corpses (although they still release spirits), and just fade away shortly after being taken down. Pikmin hiding behind something will occasionally pop in and out of their hiding spot.

Captain Olimar lands on the stage after being beamed down by a blue ship that highly resembles the Research Pod. Treasure and objects are collected by having Olimar himself touch them. Treasures involve a small cutscene that shows Olimar summoning a portal of sorts to beam up the object; after the cutscene, there's a small pause showing the treasure's name and value. After collecting a treasure, it is replaced by Rainbow Sparklium seeds if the player replays the level. The value of a new treasure isn't added to the total of Sparklium yet, but collecting the Rainbow Sparklium seed equivalent to that treasure adds the value right away – the Rainbow Sparklium seems to be worth less than the treasure it replaces. There seem to be two[4] or three treasures per stage, and collecting one adds its icon to the trio of bubbles on the top screen's HUD.

There are more elements on the top screen's HUD. At the top-left is an icon for Olimar and some green bars, that represent his current health.[5] This also temporarily appears next to Olimar himself every time he gets hurt, which can happen by simply touching enemies, as opposed to the main games, where leaders can only get hurt by enemy attacks. In some levels, Olimar is seen with three bars, but on others, he has up to six. At the middle is a counter of Pikmin. This indicates the number of Pikmin alive that belong to Olimar's arsenal. If the number is white, that means all Pikmin are currently following the captain, but if the number is gray, that means some Pikmin are working or otherwise not following Olimar. If the number is flashing red, that means some Pikmin that used to be long to Olimar's group are out of reach, possibly because they got dismissed by the jetpack function. Right next to the Pikmin counter is the Sparklium counter, indicating how many points of Sparklium have been collected in the level. Finally, as mentioned before, the top-right has icons for the treasures in the level.

At times, the Research Pod-like entity will interrupt gameplay to alert Captain Olimar of something, like when Pikmin are being left behind – if they are left behind for too long, they perish. Due to the game's side-scrolling perspective, there may be paths hidden behind walls.

The icon on the bottom-left corner of the screen indicates the current type of Pikmin, or a red cross if there are no Pikmin ready to be thrown. It can be noted that Pikmin are never on Olimar's group with mixed maturities. As all Pikmin in the current group will mature into the bud stage when 8 Pikmin or above are collected, the Pikmin will then mature again into the flower stage upon collecting 16

If all Pikmin are gone, the pod tells Olimar to whistle around parts of the stage that might contain Pikmin. Sure enough, if the player goes back to a section of the area that had hiding Pikmin, some more Pikmin will be there, and can be whistled to add to the group. This can be done any number of times. If Olimar loses all of his health or gets crushed by a rock, a cutscene showing the ship taking the unconscious captain away will be shown.[6]

The pod awaits for Captain Olimar at the end of the stage, who, after a triumphant pose, gets beamed up inside the pod. In some stages, the Pikmin with Olimar also get beamed up, like 1-A, but in others, like the tutorial stage, they stay behind. If all treasures in the stage are collected, the results screen at the end will say "Treasures Found!", but if not, it'll say "Area Explored!"

Carriable objects no longer have extra carrying slots. Once the minimum Pikmin strength is met, the object begins moving, and no more Pikmin can be added. Pikmin will carry objects down ledges, but if the fall is too great, they might refuse. If they have nowhere to go, they simply shuffle back and forth, like in the main games. Pikmin that are carrying cannot be whistled, even if they are stuck, but Pikmin that are holding on to an object without taking it anywhere can be whistled. If Pikmin are carrying something, whether they can move it or not, but Olimar walks away from them, they will eventually drop the object and start running after the captain. Carrier Pikmin trying to take an item to Olimar may turn back if they bump against a ledge down or a bridge, even if built.

[The S.S. Dolphin 2 comes crashing down like a comet, terrorizing the Pikmin.]

[The ship crashes against the ground, knocking some Pikmin into the air.]

After this, Captain Olimar wakes up from the crash landing as the ship's pod assesses his and the ship's situation. After doing so, it concludes that the ship's fuel (Sparklium) supply is completely empty. The pod picks up Sparklium signals and sends the captain onward, where the two stumble upon a wild Red Pikmin. After it being scared off, and the two continue going forward, Captain Olimar uses his whistle to bring out the Pikmin hiding in the weeds, only to realize there's actually four of them hiding, not just one. Moving forward a bit, the group discovers some Sparklium seeds. It is at this point that the pod confirms that each seed contains one Sparklium, but Olimar needs 30 thousand to be able to escape. After the ship reassures the demoralized captain, everyone moves further onward, find some more seeds, and the tutorial level is completed.[7]

Winged Pikmin – can fly over hazards like water. Can be used to help Olimar fly around[8], and when thrown, they are shot in a straight line, and then return, like blue Pikmin underwater. Winged Pikmin can also lift some obstacles that stand in the way.

Purple Pikmin and White Pikmin – Although not present in Hey Pikmin, the Onion shown in the game oddly enough has some purple and white liquid inside it (along with red, yellow, gray, and pink), indicating that it has Purple and White Pikmin inside[9].

Sector 3, Area A is titled Crystal Tunnels.[10] Right at the start, there are some blocks of sand that need to be destroyed using the Pikmin hiding in a nearby bush. After digging down, a very light puzzle element is shown, in the form of a pathway that can no longer be accessed if the player destroys too many of the sand blocks. After descending some more, the path splits into two ways. To the left is a small drop, with walls lined with crystals that can be slid off of. At the bottom is a room, with the only exit blocked off by a crystal. Rock Pikmin on the other side notice the now trapped captain, and rush to take out the crystal in the way.

A Bouncy Mushroom is then used to go back up, even though the path is blocked by crystals that get destroyed as the Rock Pikmin bounce on the mushroom. Moving ahead, an enemy similar to a Calcified Crushblat is encountered. The road after that goes forward, but by destroying a crystal that serves as a ramp to get here, a different path can be taken into a hole.

On the other side of this hole is a room with green spiky enemies and Bouncy Mushrooms. Rock Pikmin must be thrown at the mushrooms to break a crystal at the top, which allows some more Rock Pikmin to join the crew. Hitting the green enemies that walk back and forth will make them stand in place.

Back in the main path, there are more crystals and sand blocks, and after that, there is a treasure that can only be accessed if the ramp crystal is not destroyed, the Grown-Up Dynamo, which is actually a red battery. Further ahead, there are more block puzzles and enemies, until the second treasure is found, the Attention-Getting Logo, which is a cartridge of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX.

Further ahead, there are some more green spiky bugs that stand between a ledge where Olimar and the Pikmin end up at, and a ledge with the final treasure, the Snack Vault, which is an opened can of conserves. After some more crystals and enemies, the player comes across a split in the path. If they take the left, there's the pod waiting for Olimar, but if the player takes the right, they can through a path with more Sparklium, until they reach the pod in a different location. If the player takes the left exit, the pod will tell Olimar about how it detected Sparklium on the right, and tells Olimar to go check it out, but the stage forcefully ends right afterwards anyway.

For some reason, Rock Pikmin are likely to trip if the player walks back and forth on the section of the area where the cuscene where a Rock Pikmin that comes out of hiding bangs its head takes place. When the hole that leads to the Snack Vault is entered, a cutscene plays showing that the other side of the hole is blocked by a crystal. Two Rock Pikmin peek their heads from the hole and smash the crystal from inside, clearing the path. If the player does not have at least two Rock Pikmin, this cutscene just doesn't play at all, and the crystal there doesn't exist.

A large, green, vaguely dragonfly-like creature can be seen slowly moving across the top of the screen during the Nintendo Direct trailer. It's currently unknown if the creature is flying on its own or if it is getting dragged by something. The creature exhibits some scarpanid-like traits, sporting a plump, green, multiple segmented torso and a small, lime green head with large red and yellow eyes. In addition to these features, the creature seems to have small, horizontal insect-like wings and an elongated, brown segmented abdomen similar to dragonflies. The creature carries several sparklium seeds objects under its abdomen and the player can throw Pikmin at them to break them into smaller parts that can be carried.

Two burrowing creatures can be seen near the bottom left corner of the game's box art. They have six legs and three body segments. They are later seen in some gameplay patrolling a platform. They can be used as light source to light up dark areas by throwing Yellow Pikmin at them, presumably because they're electric as seen by the sparks they emit after being hit by one. In the gameplay shown, a Yellow Pikmin is thrown at it and a flower nearby opens up, similar to the Bloominous Stemple from Pikmin 3.[11]

An enemy can be seen in the Japanese trailer pushing a crystal block against Olimar and his leaders. It looks like a beetle, but the way it pushes the block, with its hind legs, is very reminiscent of the real world dung beetle. If Olimar and the Pikmin push back, they are able to drag the obstacle in the opposite direction.

The Japanese trailer briefly shows a Yellow Wollywog, a bit larger than usual, next to what can only be its young. It still has some characteristics of a Wogpole, like its short body, and a bit of a tail.

A smaller version of the Fiery Blowhog appears on a ledge in the Red Pikmin video on the official Hey! Pikmin website. This smaller version attacks by spitting smaller fireballs out that can be destroyed by tossing Red Pikmin at them.

On the official Hey! Pikmin website, an image of an apparently small, blue Jellyfloat appears under the "Look out for big baddies" section of the site, it is currently unknown whether this is supposed to be an updated Lesser Spotted Jellyfloat or a different species.

During the game reveal's Nintendo Direct, the Red Bulborb is shown to return via cutscene akin to boss battles in Pikmin 3, suggesting an important role. In accordance with the game's overall art style, the Red Bulborb appears much less detailed and more cartoony than in the main games. Its legs are more curved, its size is considerably larger and most notably, its face is much flatter with the eye stalks being placed much closer to the tip of the snout. During its respective battle, the Red Bulborb will slowly walk towards the player, constantly biting with its head lowered and jump out of the grass in the background. At certain points during the battle, the Red Bulborb will glance down. This is the player's opportunity to throw Pikmin at its eyes to make it reel back in pain and pass through its legs.

The Fiery Blowhog is also confirmed to make an appearance, but this time as a boss. Like the Red Bulborb, it appears much larger than it is usually shown as in other games. The Fiery Blowhog sits at the top of the stage and blows fire onto the Pikmin.

This boss is similar in design to the unnamed lamprey enemies previously seen. However, it seems to target the Pikmin rather than randomly shooting upwards. It is shown lunging towards Olimar and his group of Blue Pikmin in an attempt to eat them. Its body is purple with yellow spots on top. It has big lips, two escas and its head is covered in barbels. It has no visible eyes.

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Hey! Pikmin.Particularly: Are the "Sparklium seeds" ever named in-game? If not, the article needs to be changed as to just call them "seeds".

Clovers: these clovers are seen rustling, and when Olimar whistles in range of them, Pikmin are released from behind.

Bridge fragments: bridge fragments return in this game, and can be carried by Pikmin in order for them to form a bridge. Sometimes, the Pikmin must pull on a fragment for a bit before it's wedged free.[12]

Water: Olimar and Blue Pikmin are able to freely swim in bodies of water in any direction.

Pressure blocks: these blocks can be weighed down by Pikmin in order to allow passage. The number of Pikmin required to push it down is shown as circles below the top of the block, which fill in for each Pikmin the player places on it.

Loose wire: loose wire can be connected together with a line of Yellow Pikmin. This allows nearby flowers to bloom and the area to be lit up. It is unknown yet how this benefits the player.

Pushable rock object: this object can be pushed by Pikmin in order to use it as a platform or free a passage. It is unknown how many Pikmin are required to push it, but the more Pikmin the player has pushing it, the faster it is moved.

Vine: vines can be climbed by Olimar to reach higher or lower ground.

Doorway: there is a door that Olimar can enter. It is assumed that this either brings Olimar to a new room, or brings him out another doorway in the same room.

Hearts: small heart-like objects that can be picked up by the Pikmin. They have stems, so they are somehow related to plants. Olimar can collect these, but their purpose is unknown – they likely regenerate health. They can sometimes be found floating in the air.

Sparklium seed: an item which seems to be a golden seed like-object that can be collected by Olimar. Pikmin can also pick up these seeds and bring them to Olimar. Seeds that are not collected after some seconds begin flashing, and some more time afterwards, they disappear. They can also be found floating in the air sometimes.

Golden flower: this large golden flower can be hit by Pikmin to release multiple Sparklium seeds. Once hit it begins to wither away until it vanishes, so the player needs to hit it several times quickly to get the most out of it.

Sand blocks: blocks of sand can be crumbled simply by having a single Pikmin thrown at them. Most Pikmin bounce back after hitting one, but Rock Pikmin continue flying, and can smash more sand blocks this way.

Trowel: a gardening trowel with its blade buried in the ground. Throwing several Pikmin at it will make it topple forward, creating a path. A yellow progress bar similar to an enemy's health appears on top of it to indicate topple progress.

Elevator platforms: elevator platforms return in this game, looking similar to how they do in Pikmin 3.

Vine rock: a large stone with vines entwined around it. Winged Pikmin can grab onto the top of the object and lift it to clear the way, or to give Olimar himself a lift.

Crystal: crystals return, and serve to block the way forward. Like in Pikmin 3, they can be broken by tossed Rock Pikmin.

Electric gate: electric gates return, and keep their Pikmin 3 appearance, except they are much larger than in Pikmin 3.

Sea urchin: a sea urchin-like object appears in one underwater scene. It is not clear if this is an enemy or not, but its simplicity indicates that it's simply an obstacle. It moves right at a steady pace.

Captain Olimar can be moved about using , , , or ///.[12] Unlike most games where an analog stick controls the character, holding the stick farther away or closer to the center will not make Olimar move faster or slower. Pikmin are thrown by tapping at the bottom screen – the Pikmin is thrown in the direction of the tap, and the farther the tap is from Olimar, the farther the Pikmin is thrown. When the stylus is on the screen, the Pikmin is held, and a crosshair appears under the stylus that can be dragged around, so it's the release that effectively throws the Pikmin, much like the "throw" button in the main games. The whistle and the jetpack are activated by tapping on-screen buttons present on the bottom of the touch screen. To go inside a doorway, the player must place Olimar in front of it and input "up" on one of the movement buttons or sticks.

or can be used to toggle the radar, which is not available from the start of the game. The game reminds the player of this on the top screen if Olimar stands still for a few seconds. Dialog is advanced by tapping on the screen, but tapping the screen while the text is being written out will cause it to write out all at once.

It is still possible to grab Pikmin that Olimar should not be able to reach, as long as they are considered in the group. This can be seen by letting the Pikmin fall to a lower level right at the start of 3-A, but keeping Olimar on an upper level. A held Pikmin can be released if the player drags the stylus to one of the buttons on the bottom. This will activate the button, but since the button that represents the standby Pikmin's type does not do anything, moving the stylus there makes it possible to release the Pikmin without doing anything else.

In the Japanese trailer, some cutscenes of sorts play, showing Pikmin roaming around a garden-like area, where the S.S. Dolphin 2 and the master Onion are. During these scenes, the trailer has a note on the corner saying ひろば? (lit.: "open space"). The promotional fact sheet calls it "Pikmin Park", and claims it can be used to level up the Pikmin amiibo, which in turn, will make even more Pikmin appear when the amiibo is used mid-area. In one of the scenes, Pikmin can be seen plucking blades of grass from a patch and carrying it somewhere off-screen. The next scene shows Pikmin gathered around Sparklium seeds, some blades of grass, and unknown red objects. In another scene, several Pikmin of different types are carrying and moving in well-defined lines, much like marching ants, and are interacting with some obstacles. Yet another scene shows Pikmin gathering around a green, plastic clothespin on the floor.

At the Pikmin Park, players have a number of Pikmin of each type. This number reflects the number of Pikmin that safely make it to the pod at the end of a level with Olimar. A map on the right side of the screen shows an overhead view of the park, with icons representing different types of obstacles. If the player taps a Pikmin type and then a section of the park, the Pikmin of that type will then tidy up that section. In doing so, they might unearth useful objects. At the bottom-right is the amiibo button, which allows players to level up their Pikmin amiibo. For this, a lot of Pikmin are needed.

Some amiibo will be usable with Hey! Pikmin. Scanning a compatible amiibo while on the area selection screen will make it appear on one of the world map's secret spots. That secret spot can then be entered, and somewhere in that area, the amiibo can be recovered and collected, like a treasure. The following amiibo work for this: the Olimar Smash series amiibo, the Pikmin amiibo, the amiibo from the Mario series (waves 1 and 2, including the Gold and Silver editions of Mario), the amiibo from the Animal Crossing series, and the amiibo from the Splatoon series (waves 1 and 2).

In-game, if the player pauses and uses the amiibo option, they can scan the Pikmin amiibo or the Olimar amiibo to summon a number of Pikmin directly to Olimar's side. In the case of Olimar's amiibo, only four appear, but for the Pikmin amiibo, the number of Pikmin summoned is related to the amiibo's level, which can be increased in the Pikmin Park. This summoning feature can only be used once per area, and leaving the area or retrying will allow players to summon again.

Scanning any other amiibo will give the player some Sparklium. This can only be done once per day. The list of compatible amiibo can be found here.

Modes where it's possible to see collected treasures and encountered enemies, similar to the Treasure Hoard and Piklopedia, return. The bottom screen shows the model of the object in question, which can be rotated by the player, and the top screen shows a description of the item. The bottom screen also has a silhouette of a Pikmin, used to compare the treasure's size to a standard Pikmin.

One scene in the trailer shows several Sparklium seeds and large ruby-like objects falling from the sky, where Olimar and the Pikmin grab them. Another scene shows Olimar and Pikmin falling down a shaft, and sliding off of crystals pointing downwards diagonally stuck in the walls.

Bomb rocks return, as proven by the Fiery Blowhog fight, and can be wielded by, at least, Red Pikmin. Pikmin holding one will be considered a different standby option for throwing. Nothing else is known about these explosives.

The title screen randomly shows Pikmin, Olimar, and/or some enemies walking around left and right, and doing some simple activities. After idling for too long, the game will show the intro cutscene.[13]

The area selection screen shows a background themed around the current sector, and overlaid on top is one bubble per area. These bubbles are connected by dotted lines. Tapping an area will take the player there. Smaller, purple bubbles represent Secret Spots, areas in which the player can collect items like pellets. Similar bubbles but with an amiibo logo in them are ammibo Secret Spots. Blue small bubbles represent Sparklium Springs, where the player can gather a lot of Sparklium. After entering and exiting one of these, it becomes unavailable for a certain amount of time. The button on the top-right of the screen allows players to go to the Pikmin Park. On the bottom-left, there is a button to take the player to the sector selection screen. To the right of that one is a button that opens the Logs menu, which log information about the enemies, treasures, and Pikmin encountered. On the bottom-right, there is the options button, in which the player can change some of the game's settings. Finally, on the top-left, the amiibo button allows players to scan amiibo, in order to add amiibo Secret Spots.

The player can have more than one saved game, and the game is saved automatically every time a level is finished. There are some form of upgrades available throughout the game, since it is known that the radar is unlocked at some point in story mode, and that in the Japanese TV trailer, a golden jetpack icon can be seen[14].

According to the eShop demo's manual, Hey! Pikmin can periodically send gameplay analytic data to Nintendo via SpotPass. This can be disabled in the area selection screen's option menu. It also supports Nintendo Network.

The game was first revealed in a Nintendo Direct on September 1st, 2016, where it was given the working name Pikmin for Nintendo 3DS. The video showed some gameplay footage and information.

More information about the game was shown on the April 12th, 2017 Nintendo Direct, where its name was confirmed to be Hey! Pikmin, and where it was given its July 28th, 2017 release date.

On May 5th, 2017, a few different gaming news representatives managed to play Hey! Pikmin in a hands-on event. This version of the game features 3 areas: a basic one focusing on the Red Pikmin, a cave area focusing on the Yellow Pikmin and their throw height, and a mostly underwater area focusing on the Blue Pikmin and multidirectional movement.

On June 7th, 2017, a Japanese trailer was released, explaining a bit of the game's plot, and showcasing new enemies, treasures, and other content.[15]

During the 2017 Nintendo Summer of Play event, Hey! Pikmin was one of the games available to try out. Players could get their hands on a Nintendo 3DS with the game's demo and play it.[7] This demo is slightly different from the eShop demo – which was released some days after – in that it has different introduction text, no limit on the number of times it can be opened, and no button to open the full game's eShop page.

A demo of the game was launched before the game's release, on the European eShop, on June 22nd, 2017, on the Australian eShop on July 5th, 2017, and on the US eShop on July 13th, 2017. At the title screen, players can choose which "file" they want to play: "(A) Intro & Tutorial", "(B) 1-A: First Expedition", and "(C) 3-A: Crystal Tunnels". Players can only open it 30 times, but completing a stage allows the player to return to the title screen. Pressing or during gameplay has no effect.

At least in the demo, the Sparklium counter on the HUD caps at 999, which can be seen by constantly defeating the bird enemies that come out of the hole in 1-A.[16] This makes it presumably impossible to reach the 30,000 Sparklium goal in the demo.